Information about Slovenia

Slovenia is situated in Central Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean . The Alps - including the Julian Alps, the Kamnik-Savinja Alps and the Karavanke chain, as well as the Pohorje massif - dominate Northern Slovenia along its long border to Austria. Slovenia's Adriatic coastline stretches approximately 43 kilometers (27 miles) from Italy to Croatia.
The term 'Karst' originated in southwestern Slovenia's Karst Plateau (Slovene: Kras), a limestone region of underground rivers, gorges, and caves, between Ljubljana and the Mediterranean.
On the Pannonian plain to the East and Northeast, toward the Croatian and Hungarian borders, the landscape is essentially flat. However, the majority of Slovenian terrain is hilly or mountainous, with around 90% of the surface 200 meters or more above sea level.

The majority of Slovenia's population is Slovene (83.06%). Hungarians and Italians have the status of indigenous minorities under the Constitution of Slovenia, which guarantees them seats in the National Assembly. Most other minority groups, particularly those from the former Yugoslavia, relocated after World War II for economic reasons. The majority of Slovenians (57%) are Roman Catholic, though the country also has a small number of Protestants, Orthodox Christians, Muslims, and Jews.

The official and national language of the Republic of Slovenia is Slovene, which is spoken by a large majority of the population. It is also known, in English, as Slovenian. Two minority languages, namely Hungarian and Italian, are recognised as co-official languages and accordingly protected in their residential municipalities. Other languages, spoken primarily by the immigrants, include mainly other South Slavic languages. The most often taught foreign languages are English and German.

The history of Slovenia chronicles the period from the 5th Century BC to the present times. In the Early Bronze Age, Proto-Illyrian tribes settled an area stretching from present-day Albania to the city of Trieste. The Holy Roman Empire controlled the land for nearly 1,000 years. Modern-day Slovenia gained its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, and is today a modern state and a member of the European Union and NATO.
We have decided not to write a detailed history anymore, since we would have to cite other sources that are often on the internet already. Instead a few links with more information about the history of Slovenia:

•Wikipedia, History of Slovenia from Wikipedia
•EuroDocs, History of Slovenia: Primary Documents

Slovenia has a continental climate with warm summers and cold winters (snowfalls in the Alps) and a Mediterranean climate on the coast. More information on arso.gov.si

The region's climate has given Slovenia a wealth of diverse flora and fauna. Ferns, flowers, mosses, and common trees populate the landscape. There are subtropical plants along the Adriatic Sea. Wild animals include deer, brown bear, rabbit, fox, and wild boar. About half of Slovenia is mountainous; mainly, the mountains are located in the central and eastern part of the country. Farmers plant vineyards on the hillsides and raise livestock in the fertile lowlands of the country.